At all Little Lotus Buds programs, including Lotus Buddies Day Camp, we support children in becoming confident, capable people who have a sound sense of their abilities and interests, and the ability to take age-appropriate responsibility for their own safety.  Adult anxieties about children can lead adults to overprotect them. This makes it harder for children to learn the consequences of their actions and makes learning less engaging. Furthermore, educators, public health professionals, and child development experts are concerned that children today spend less time playing and learning outdoors, with damaging results for them and society. For this reason, unstructured outdoor play and learning are central to these programs/experiences.

Little Lotus Buds takes reasonable steps to manage and balance risks, while at the same time allowing children to play freely. Program participants acknowledge its inherent risks of harm and personal injury. While minor injuries like bruises, bumps and scrapes are not uncommon, serious injuries are rare, and life-changing injuries and fatalities are unlikely in the extreme. Still, as with almost any activity, indoors or outdoors, it is impossible to guarantee that they will not happen. You are required to accept this as a condition of your child’s participation.

Risks

The variety of risks is more than can be listed here and will vary depending on the day and activities. However, staff are trained and experienced, and their role is to support children in learning and playing, while keeping the risks to an acceptable level.

Below is a list of some of the more significant risks:

• Injuries from executing strenuous and demanding physical activities

• Injuries resulting from the presence of harmful plants, natural loose parts, wild animals, and/or ticks

• Changing and inclement weather, including storms, high winds, and lightning

• The possibility that your child may not heed safety instructions or directions given to the group or delivered individually

• Injuries arising from the actions of other children

• Negligence on the part of other participants.

While the injuries sustained in outdoor activity are mostly minor, they can be severe, and on extremely rare occasions, even fatal. All Little Lotus Buds rules,  like specific instruction, weather awareness and site risk assessments, are designed to enhance the safety of your child and others and are to be followed at all times

 In unstructured, outdoor play, children freely choose which experiences and forms of play they are comfortable engaging in. Your child is under no obligation to participate in all experiences and may choose not to participate at any time during the program.